<p>Still deeply suspicious. How do you know the company has offices in those places? How do you know this person actually graduated from Boston U and worked for Princeton Review? What do you really <em>know</em>, as opposed to what they claim, about this company and what they achieve/promise/do? Confidence tricksters are successful because they sound legitimate, they sound reasonable, they make nice claims, and because people <em>want to believe in them.</em> People want to believe there is an easy way, an unknown way, a back way, some secret that can be shared only with them, and that is how confidence tricksters get their money. </p>
<p>As an international student, and one that needs money to attend college, you are in a hard position. There are many like you. You need to know that you are not in the same category as natives for the purpose of scholarships. State schools are supported by tax money; their mission is to educate residents of the state. There may be some money available to international students, but there won’t be much, and you need to realize that a school may offer full scholarships to state residents that you, as an international student, simply aren’t eligible for. Make that distinction when you do your research: what is available to international students? All the contacts in the world won’t change your fundamental status. Besides, I truly don’t believe any counselor has that kind of pull, anywhere, much less at 12 schools.
There is a great deal of information on this site that you can find by searching, even stickied threads about scholarships, schools that offer scholarships, schools that are full-need, and international applications. Don’t be a gudgeon.</p>